Just's rise from Austrian second tier to Premiership standout

'Pure footballer' who has thrived in system

Fun is a word many Motherwell supporters have used to describe this team.

They are playing some of the best football ever seen at Fir Park, going toe-to-toe with Celtic, Rangers and league leaders Hearts for the majority of the campaign.

Sunday's victory at Ibrox summed up Askou's side pretty well.

They were electric in the first half, controlling the tempo and slicing through the Rangers defence with two superb team goals. Then, after Rangers had levelled, they stuck to their principles and found a winner.

Just has previously spoken about how Askou's style has evolved from a more direct approach at Horsens, where he also played under the Danish coach.

"It's one thing to talk about playing with a lot of courage and taking risks, and it's another thing to actually go out and do it, especially when you're playing against top opposition in big stadiums," Just said.

"When I moved over to Denmark, the team had just come off the back of back-to-back relegations. It was a make-or-break year for the club and it's difficult when you're trying to show what you're capable of when there is so much on the line.

"When I came to Motherwell, the rhetoric from the coaching staff was that we were going to stick to the style of play. When a team plays a certain way, I'm not going to be that useful, especially a more direct style.

"So the playing style is really important and it is difficult to find clubs that are going to play the way that suits myself."

And Motherwell's style certainly does suit Just.

No player in the Premiership has more assists from open play than his seven this season, while he is fifth for big chances created (12), seventh for dribbles completed (41) and joint-seventh for total shots (66).

"He's a pure footballer," former Hibs and Celtic midfielder Scott Allan told BBC Scotland.

"He's quite slight, but his awareness, ability to play in tight areas and hurt you is brilliant. Forget the stats - on the eye test, he's been absolutely outstanding.

"He takes touches away from pressure, he has a picture of what he wants to do and he's really fit, so he runs off people a lot. The awareness of when to play one-touch, when to play two-touch and then having the creativity in the final third.

"What I get attracted to is the pure footballer - an Elijah Just who plays in pockets and is pleasing on the eye. It would be him or Claudio Braga for me."

No transfer distractions before World Cup

Just has scored nine goals in 42 appearances for New Zealand [Getty Images]

After the domestic season finishes, Just's attentions will turn to North America, where he and his New Zealand team-mates will take on Iran, Egypt and Belgium in World Cup Group G.

It is their first appearance in the tournament since 2010, when they drew all their group matches but failed to make it through.

The likes of Liverpool's Mo Salah and Napoli's Kevin de Bruyne lie in wait this time, but after previous qualification disappointments, Just believes the All Whites can progress to the knockout stages.

"It's been a long time since New Zealand went last and I've been a part of the squad for two World Cup cycles," he said.

"It's going to be just an incredible experience and we are going with expectations. We're firstly focusing on getting out of the group."

Just's performances for Motherwell have led to rumours linking him with Celtic, but he isn't thinking beyond this summer.

"I've told my agent that I don't want to hear anything," he said. "I am just fully focused on the last four games and the World Cup.

"I've been enjoying so much playing for Motherwell. I've been loving being part of the locker room, part of the team. The last thing I wanted was for some outside noise to distract me."